Prime Minister Narendra Modi embark on a visit to the United Kingdom and the Maldives from today, July 23, to July 26.

The visit to the UK is at the invitation of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, while the state visit to the Maldives is at the invitation of President Mohamed Muizzu, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

The focus of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visits to Britain and the Maldives will be shoring up trade and defence cooperation with the formalisation of the landmark India-UK free trade deal set to be the key outcome of his trip to London.

PM Modi’s foreign trip comes in the middle of Monsoon Session of Parliament that began on July 21.

The prime minister will first travel to the UK on Wednesday on a two-day trip and then visit the Maldives primarily to grace the island nation’s Independence Day celebrations as “guest of honour”.

Meetings with PM Starmer, King Charles III According to Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, besides holding wide-ranging talks with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Modi will also meet King Charles III during his July 23-24 visit to the UK.

This is PM Modi’s fourth visit to the UK since assuming office.

Starmer is set to host Modi on Thursday, July 24, at Chequers, the official country residence of the British prime minister, 50 km northwest of London.

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and his British counterpart Jonathan Reynolds are likely to sign the free trade agreement (FTA) in the presence of the two prime ministers, people familiar with the matter were quoted as saying in a PTI report.

British firms to export whisky, cars, other products In May, India and the UK sealed the FTA that is expected to benefit 99 per cent of Indian exports from tariffs and will make it easier for British firms to export whisky, cars and other products to India, besides boosting the overall trade basket.

The trade deal, firmed up after three years of negotiations, is expected to ensure comprehensive market access for Indian goods across all sectors and India will gain from tariff elimination on about 99 per cent of tariff lines (product categories) covering almost 100 per cent of the trade values, according to officials quoted by PTI

Along with the FTA—the biggest the UK has done since leaving the European Union—the two countries also sealed a double contribution convention. It provides for employers of Indian workers to be exempt from paying social security contributions in the UK.

“This visit, though a short one, will give both leaders the opportunity to review the entire gamut of the bilateral relationship and discuss ways to strengthen it further, and also discuss issues that are of regional and global relevance,” Misri said at a media briefing earlier this week.

A day ahead of Modi’s UK trip, PM-led Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved the India-UK free trade agreement, paving the way for the much-awaited formal signing of the pact during Modi’s visit to London on 24 July, said two government officials, asking not to be identified.

When asked whether the FTA would be formally signed during PM Modi’s visit to the UK, Misri said work on it is continuing, and it is “last-minute.”

“We are continuing to work on those and last-minute work on that is continuing,” he said.

The India-UK bilateral trade crossed USD 55 billion in 2023-24. The UK is the sixth largest investor in India, with a cumulative investment of USD 36 billion.

India’s investments in the UK are close to USD 20 billion, and some 1,000 Indian companies operating in Britain provide employment to almost 100,000 people.

Extensive security arrangements The British side is understood to have made extensive security arrangements, including sensitising security agencies to Indian concerns, to avert any attempt by pro-Khalistan elements to disrupt PM Modi’s visit or organise protests.

The foreign secretary said defence, technology, research, innovation and education have emerged as key pillars of India-UK cooperation.

“In the defence sector, we are seeing regular interactions and exercises amongst all three branches of the armed forces. We have placed military instructors at each other’s military academies,” he said.

The foreign secretary also mentioned the Technology Security Initiative (TSI) between the two sides, which is focused on cooperation intelecom, critical minerals, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, semiconductors, advanced materials, and quantum computing.

Maldivian Independence Day on July 26 During his July 25-26 trip to the Maldives, Modi will hold extensive talks with President Mohamed Muizzu and inaugurate several India-assisted development projects in the island nation.

The prime minister will also be the guest of honour at the Maldivian Independence Day celebrations on July 26.

“The prime minister’s state visit also happens to be the first state visit of a head of government that President Muizzu is hosting in his presidency since he assumed the office in November 2023,” Misri said.

“The Maldives is a very close partner in our neighbourhood, a very important partner in India’s Neighbourhood First policy, and as part of the MAHASAGAR vision of India, which is Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions,” he added.

Misri also mentioned the India-Maldives joint vision for a ‘Comprehensive Economic and Maritime Security Partnership’ that was finalised last year.

“This joint vision, in a sense, has become the guiding framework for our ties,” he said.

Reset of bilateral ties The prime minister’s visit to the Maldives is seen as important as it marks a significant reset of bilateral ties that had come under severe strain after Muizzu, known for his pro-China leanings, became president in November 2023.

Also Read | PM to visit UK on July 23 to formalise landmark free trade deal, then Maldives

Misri attributed the turnaround in the relationship to India working hard on the ties with the island nation.

This visit, though a short one, will give both leaders the opportunity to review the entire gamut of the bilateral relationship and discuss ways to strengthen it further.

“It’s a question of working hard at a relationship. There will always be events that will impact or try to intrude on the relationship. But I think this is testimony to the kind of attention that has been paid to the relationship and including attention at the highest levels that has been paid to the relationship,” he said.